Four Loko teases new drink that triples the alcohol content of its competitors: ‘Hard Seltzers ran so we could fly’

Hope Schreiber
·Writer
Updated
Four Loko teases a hard seltzer with 14% ABV on social media. (Photo: Twitter)
Four Loko teases a hard seltzer with 14% ABV on social media. (Photo: Twitter)

Four Loko, a company with a drink once deemed a "blackout in a can,” is back with a new drink — one it claims is more intense than ever. This time, it’s hoping to appeal to a more health-conscious drinker with the "hardest seltzer in the universe."

While most hard seltzers on the market range from 4.5 percent to 6 percent ABV (alcohol by volume), Four Loko plans to more than triple it with “Four Loko Sour Seltzer” which reportedly contains a whopping 14 percent ABV.

"Hard Seltzers ran so we could fly," the company tweeted on Tuesday, which led to plenty of reactions on social media. The alcohol content is far above any hard seltzer on the market, including a recent one from PBR which contains 8 percent ABV.

Four Loko rose to popularity in the 2000s. The original Four Loko, with 12 percent ABV in a 23.6-ounce can, was the equivalent of five to six beers and five coffees. According to the FDA, the caffeine in Four Loko caused people to lose their "sensory cues," making them unable to tell they were becoming dangerously intoxicated. Consumption of the product led to numerous hospitalizations across the country.

The FDA later ruled that caffeine was an "unsafe food additive" when mixed with malt alcoholic beverages, causing numerous states to ban the sale of the drink in 2010. However, once caffeine, guarana and taurine were removed from the recipe, Four Loko was back on shelves, but its popularity never recovered.

With sales of hard seltzer increasing 200 percent over the past year (according to Business Insider), Four Loko’s Sour Seltzer has the potential to be the company’s redemption. But experts say the drink’s success is fueled by an increasingly health-conscious public who are looking for not only a low-calorie drink but a less alcoholic one. Whether or not Four Loko’s version will fit the bill remains to be seen.

An official release date for the beverage has not been announced. Four Loko did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s requests for comment.

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